EDITORIAL: Historical Museum displays importance of city's past

The Detroit Historical Society, the nonprofit organization which funds and operates the Historical Museum, took several gambles in the years since the city shed most of its support.

Detroit and suburban residents will be glad it did.

The museum, located on Woodward north of the main Detroit Public Library and across from the Detroit Institute of Arts, reopened after being closed for half a year for extensive renovation.

It has several major new exhibits, including some nostalgia.

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Exhibits include a 20th century history of the city's culture, its musical heritage, the Underground Railroad and the city's importance to the Allied effort during World War II as the Arsenal of Democracy.

The neon Detroit Tigers sign from the demolished stadium is there. So is a Little Caesar's mascot, a machine gun from the Prohibition era and a bronze drinking fountain from the downtown J.L. Hudson's store.

Museums should provide "aha!" moments for visitors. There are many of them here.

The Historical Society several years ago took over operation of the museum much as the Detroit Zoological Society took over operation of the zoo, after support dried up from the city, which owned both institutions. It might have been a gamble, but in retrospect, it was a safe bet.

The Historical Society currently almost all of a $2.8-million budget from donations.

Some of the rest comes from sales. But museum admission fees have been eliminated.

In another gamble, it mounted a $20 million campaign three years ago for the new exhibits, renovations, digitizing much of its collection and paying for operating expenses. Two-thirds of the amount has been raised.

Many suburban residents, we gather, washed their hands of the central city years ago or avoid it if they never had an earlier connection. That's unfortunate, given Detroit's important place in the development

of the region and the likelihood that it will take on greater importance in years to come.

We hope the Museum with its new exhibits will make that clear to all who visit.